News and Events
Web Redesign
March 3, 2008
In preparation for the spring 2008 redesign of the Washington College home page, Professor of Psychology George Spilich enlisted students to help test the effectiveness of its navigation using eye gaze technology.
The eye gaze process bounces an infrared beam off the subject's cornea 60 times per second and measures the geometric relation between the glint of the pupil and a projected image. The software then paints the screen with points that each student viewed, interpolating the data into a colored map that identifies visual hot spots.
Click to enlarge photos.
Eye Gaze Diagram
By tracking gazepoint as the brain directs the eye, we can understand how visitors respond to the site navigation.
Fall 2007 Home Page
The home page launched October 1, 2007 uses a circular layout to help visitors scan navigation.
Fall 2007 Home Page
The eye gaze testing reveals visitors concentrate primarily on photographs and only read part of the navigation menus.
Valid Code: Same Site for Everyone
The site appears the same on all browsers due to compliance with Web standards, which can be tested with "xhtml" and "css" links at the bottom of each page.
Actual Computer Setup
The camera calibrated each student's gazepoint by recording responses to a preliminary series of dots and images.
Spring 2008 Home Page
The home page set to launch in spring 2008 uses bold images and distinctive menus for navigation.
Spring 2008 Home Page
More visual territory is covered with the new layout, indicating visitors will effectively scan the navigation at a glance.
Graphic Distinction
The eye gaze testing indicated that some visitors might overlook the Campus Events Calendar graphic. As a result, the text was recolored to give it greater visual appeal.
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